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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726035">Firestarter</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexacaust/pseuds/bexacaust'>bexacaust</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>FrouFrou Senators Assume Local Twink Obeys Rules, Gen, Jury Trials, Rodimus Prime Has Been Tired For Four Million Years</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:00:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,224</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexacaust/pseuds/bexacaust</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Don’t need my health<br/>Got my name and got my wealth <br/>Stare at the sun<br/>Just for kicks all by myself</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Firestarter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He knew, walking into the grandiose hall of justice, how it would all end.<br/>But like the failed Warlord and the powerdrunk Prime before him- he would make sure the last words he said to his one-time masters would resonate through the ages.</p>
<p>And when he heard them call his name, he stood up with flame decals bright and wicked and his smile toothy and falsified.</p>
<p>The final trial- the end of the line.</p>
<p>He stood before the lines of titles, and he saw Minimus sitting upon the end and staring into blank emptiness. Something in his spark hardened at the pain on the mech’s face, and he chuffed a bitter laugh.</p>
<p>“Rodimus Prime, speak your piece- be it in favor or against the Warlord of the Decepticons.”</p>
<p>“As the bastard son of Kaon, I disagree with your wording there, nitwit.”</p>
<p>The collective gasp that rolled over the present mechs was painfully audible, echoing to the arching ceilings as Rodimus stood with the ease of a tired soldier, his face somewhere between a scowl and sneer.</p>
<p>“Megatron is a war criminal. Duh. Tell me something we don’t know. He knew DAMN WELL getting into this that it would end in one of two ways: victory or death. That doesn’t excuse what he did, NOTHING could excuse what he did EVER.”</p>
<p>The vehemence in his voice was nearly tangible.</p>
<p>“He killed his fellow Cybertronians; he tortured them for information or fun- who knows or cares which. Hell, HE KILLED ME AND KICKED ME INTO SPACE.”</p>
<p>Optimus, at least, had the grace to look away at that.</p>
<p>Rodimus barked another bitter laugh before he continued, “You bastards taught him REAL, REAL WELL I guess, huh?”</p>
<p>Silence.</p>
<p>“Oh, did you think I FORGOT all about that? Yes, Megatron deserves to be put on trial. He deserves to be held ACCOUNTABLE by a roster of his peers and those he hurt. And so do the REST of you disgusting smears on our race’s good name.”</p>
<p>Minimus looked slowly up, optics wide as others on the Judge’s bench began to get to their pedes in offense.</p>
<p>“Will you old scrapheaps sit DOWN. Your PRIME is talking- or did you forget I’m your exhausted Creator-God’s favorite kid?”</p>
<p>Several faces on the bench were coloring in outrage, while an equal amount of others soured in shock. The sound of cackling was loud in the background as Rodimus rested a fist against his hip, and threw his head back to let off sarcastic laughter.</p>
<p>“Slipped your mind, did it? Forgot the bastard son of your moneylust and warmongering is preferred over your crusty-port riddled frames, right? And here they called ME a bumpkin for being from Nyon!”</p>
<p>He stared at each Judge, one after the other, “You all remember Nyon, don’t you? Offshoot of Kaon, mining town- sucked dry by you siphoning piles of GARBAGE so you could turn a quick profit and sacrifice everyone I EVER CARED ABOUT to an out-of-his-mind Prime? Or are we all so QUICK to forget how the mechs claiming to wear the mantle of justice nearly allowed Zeta to suck the life out of my home?”</p>
<p>Soft murmurs circled around the chamber the trial was held in, and Minimus stared at Rodimus in shock. Optimus stood, huffing angry steam as his grip on the surface in front of him creaked from his enraged grip.</p>
<p>
  <em>“HOT ROD.”</em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>“ORION.”</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>Another silence, thick and cloying and hotter than hellfire.</p>
<p>Optimus jerked back slightly, containing himself and speaking with his bellowing voice, “This is a TRIAL, Rodimus- not an airing of grievances!”</p>
<p>“You are correct, good job! This IS a trial, and it’s clearly an UNFAIR ONE.”</p>
<p>Optimus’s optics whirred as they refocused at Rodimus’s vicious smile.</p>
<p>“You put a known war criminal onto a civilian ship- using your position for intimidation in order to get your own way- and that’s not even delving into your willingness to sacrifice my home all those years ago, <em>ORION PAX</em>. So, if you will, sit the hell DOWN and don’t speak when I have the floor- Unlike your frame, we can’t modify the speaking podium to fit something as large as the Matrix Of Optimus’s Ego.”</p>
<p>Rodimus turned back to the judges, ignoring Optimus as the elder Prime’s battlemask snapped open from the suddenness of his shock.</p>
<p>“I will be the first one here to say to put Megatron to trial. I will be the first one here to DEMAND he be held accountable by a jury of his peers and equals. I will be the first one to CONDEMN him.”</p>
<p>His optics narrowed, and licks of fire raced over every seam in his frame, “BUT I WILL ALSO DEMAND THAT EVERY MECH RESPONSIBLE FOR CAUSING THE PROBLEM HE BECAME BE MADE TO STAND TRIAL AS WELL.”</p>
<p>Coils of flame lashed out from his frame, lapping at the air like the Devil’s forked tongue as Rodimus stood almost too tall to be ‘just a Nyon mech’ in front of the corrupt Judge’s bench.</p>
<p>“BECAUSE I AM RODIMUS PRIME; AND BY THE GRACE PLACED UPON ME, I CONDEMN EVERY LAST MECH ON THAT BENCH FOR THEIR ABUSES OF POWER-PAST AND PRESENT.”</p>
<p>And just like that, the flames whipped away into nothingness as cold optics glared holes in shaking plating.</p>
<p>“The only mech who deserves to wear the mantle of Justice is the last of the line Ambus. And you can quote me on that. In the end, I know you will all do as you please- but remember….”</p>
<p>Rodimus spread his arms, and those gathered got to their feet and stared at the Judges who looked back in something like fear.</p>
<p>“The mechs behind me have a right to closure- and it wasn’t <em>MEGATRON</em> who first put his foot on their backs and <em><b>pushed down.</b></em>”</p>
<p>And with that, he turned on his heel, stalking away from the podium as a guard moved to stop him. Rodimus raised his arm, weapon primed and ready and humming in expectation of bloodshed.</p>
<p>His baby-blue optics, ice shards inset in his face, flickered as his sneer showed the tips of Kaonite-grade fangs, “Step back or never move again- which is it gonna be, buddy?”</p>
<p>The guard put his hands up and moved out of Rodimus’s path as he turned to look over his shoulder.</p>
<p>“One more thing- Don’t forget, Optimus. I was a rebel leader once too. But I was never your FRIEND before I had to fight for MY RIGHT to survive. Makes you wonder what I could do- being a Chosen Prime as well as a bitter casualty of your war.”</p>
<p>He walked out the doors, shuttering his optics as they shut behind him to the sound of jeers and catcalls and bellowed pleas for order.</p>
<p>They killed him- as Rodimus knew they would. As Rodimus knew would be the seven pounds in payment.</p>
<p>He toasted the nothingness on his ship. He smelled fire on the horizon, and he rubbed his chestplates fondly.</p>
<p>His heroes had been gilded idols and his enemies drunk on power and self-righteousness; his masters had been selfish and self-obsessed.</p>
<p>And after all these years, he had learned. Learned what made them tick. Learned where the rot had set in on whatever equivalent to souls they had.</p>
<p>Optimus has been forsaken.</p>
<p>Megatron has fallen. </p>
<p>And on both counts…</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Rodimus Prime has not.</em>
  </b>
</p>
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